Not One Lost

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Not One Lost

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:10

At the end of the parable of the lost sheep we have this verse. God’s will is that not even one human should be lost. Unfortunately we know that will not be the case as many will purposely give up their salvation but it’s a loving message none the less. And it is with this contextual verse that we enter into a famous part about dealing with sinful members. Unfortunately most Bibles separate verse 10 from the next part with a title and people don’t read them together but they should. You see, it’s in the context that God wants to save everyone that he speaks about dealing with sinners or in other words, dealing with sinners should be done in a way that everyone should be saved. Dealing with sinners is not about cutting out the bad but saving the bad.

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

Matthew 18:15

This verse makes it very clear that the goal is to save your brother. We should always remember that when dealing with these situations. This work is not about simply keeping the church ‘pure’ and ‘holy’ as is the case many times. That member makes us look bad so we should get rid of him. I’ve heard this many times even if not with these exact words. No, it is about helping someone who’s fallen from finding his footing with Christ again.

16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Matthew 18:16-17

Two important things can be learned from these verses. The first is that you should only elevate or grow the situation if nothing else can be done. Not every issue in a church should be spoken of in the front like a sermon. Private situations should remain just that and hopefully resolved in like manner.

The other thing is that separating someone from the church is an extreme and final solution only done if the person truly doesn’t repent or even acknowledge their problem. It should never be the first, second or even third choice but always the final extreme. With that said, sometimes it is needed to be done. When done however it is still with the hope and love of trying to bring the person back to God. We should never close a door for good. Remember, God wants that not even one should be lost.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Your Angel

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Your Angel

10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 18:10

There are verses in the Bible that seem simple yet say so much. This is one of those verses. On the surface, Jesus is simply acknowledging the importance of little children in the sight of God but when you actually look at what Jesus is saying, much more can be gleaned.

The children’s angels see the face of God. What does that mean? What was Jesus trying to say? It is similar to the saying that so-and-so has someone’s ear. The children’s angels see the face of God and therefore are up there with God and have the ability to speak with him. If they feel that their chosen child is being harmed or put down, they will pass on their displeasure with God himself. That is a powerful position. Don’t despise a child because, God himself might come back at you. That child has connections. That child is protected.

I also like the idea, that even though God knows everything, he seems to allow people (or angels in this case) to argue their points and grievances. It takes away the idea that heaven is a complete dictatorship where only God speaks and makes decisions. This implies that people can reason with God and gain favor.

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

Isaiah 1:18

God himself asks us to reason with him. Yes he is all powerful, all knowing and so on, but he still wants to hear your opinion and have you make your choices. This always blows my mind to think about. How much easier and cleaner the world would be if we simply had to follow God’s ideas and paths but no. God wants us to use our brains and think and make decisions.

11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Matthew 18:11

After the verse with the angels seeing the face of God we are left with this verse. Jesus came to save the lost so don’t leave anyone out of your mission for salvation. Don’t say someone is too young or old or black or white or rich or poor. God has a plan to save everyone regardless of themselves. Let us chose to follow that plan and not the Devils, where some are too different or sinful to be saved.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Temple Tax

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Temple Tax

24 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”

Matthew 17:24

There are a few stories in the Bible that are rarely used. Others are almost always told as a children’s story. This is one of those stories. The temple tax collectors asked Peter if Jesus paid his temple tax. Just so you know, this was neither tithe nor an offering that was being mentioned here. This was a tax that was created, and of which the Jewish priests were exempt from, which had to be given once a year. It was created during the rebuilding of Nehemiah and was probably supposed to be temporary as Israel was being rebuilt, the people were still enslaved and so regular tithes and offerings were probably not enough. By the time of Jesus, the Temple was flush with funds and there was no need for this tax but obviously the Jewish leaders would not pass up extra funds.

In verse 25, Peter answered, “Yes.” He did this of course without actually knowing or asking Jesus. He assumed or simply didn’t want his master to look bad and so answered with his own idea.

25 And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

Matthew 17:25-26

As always, even though he wasn’t there to hear, Jesus knew what had transpired and he confronted Peter. The problem was obvious. If the Jewish priests and leaders didn’t have to pay the tax, why would the Son of God? What I love about this story is that, although he corrects Peter, he doesn’t blame or punish him. Instead he uses Peter to a miracle which also saved face for the entire ordeal.

27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”

Matthew 17:27

I love how Jesus didn’t want to offend the tax collectors even though they obviously asked to offend Jesus. I also love how the coin was to pay for Jesus and Peter. Peter received a blessing even though he made a rash mistake. That is love and grace at work.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Opposites

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Opposites

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24-25

We serve such an interesting God. He seems to relish in opposites. If you want to gain something, you must give up first. If you want to live you must die. He has a plan of salvation which has a death at its heart. Lose your life to find it.

No wonder the disciples and religious leaders were so often confused. Jesus always found a way of doing exactly what people didn’t expect. He would heal people and tell them to not say a word. When they tried to proclaim him king, he would sneak away from the rejoicing crowds. He loved those who were hated and mocked those who were uplifted.

Why is it important to recognize this fact about Jesus and God? Simply put, we can never assume we know God’s plan for our life. It’s very easy to rationalize a situation of path that you think would be best for your life but if the Bible is any marker you can bet sure that you’re wrong.

That is where faith and trust really come in. Being able to put aside your own understanding and plan is the best thing you can do. It’s hard because we think we know what is best. The good news is that God is able to create something even better than your imagination can fathom.

26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:16

Here we see the big secret, or not so secret, reason why God’s ways seem so opposite sometimes. We as human being have a tendency of looking at life in the short term. God is always thinking about the greater picture. He is thinking about your salvation and that is why many times His ways are not our ways.

That is the great choice that we always have to make. Do you follow your own plan which may be good for the short term or do you follow God’s plan which is focused on the greater picture?

To help you chose, I’ll leave you with one last verse.

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 16:27

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Who Am I

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Who Am I

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

Matthew 16:13

What an interesting question and one that is vital today in our day. As Christians, and especially as Adventists, we have a need to preach Jesus to the people around us. Often we find this to be a difficult task. Why? Because of the question Jesus asked- Who do people say I am?

It’s very important to know someone’s idea on Jesus before presenting Jesus to them. The name Jesus is very loaded. For some, hopefully like yourself, it is a wonderful name full of joy, grace and power. For others, such as Indigenous members who were forced to change their beliefs into a Christian faith, Jesus can have a much darker and negative thing.

Before we speak, it’s important to listen. That is what Jesus was doing here but not for his own good but for the disciples. They needed to realize that their experience with Jesus was different and unique compared to the average person. We need to realize the same thing. Our experience with Jesus and the knowledge we know is a huge blessing that few on this earth have.

After his first question, Jesus asks another.

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Matthew 16:15

Again, this question is vital. How can we preach about Jesus if we haven’t taken the time to truly understand him for ourselves? Why are we talking about him? What makes him special in your own life? These are the questions we need to know before we speak to anyone.

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:16-17

When the right process of questions and hearing is done, this is the result. The Holy Spirit can enter into the conversation and truly do a miracle. This is what God wants to do with you.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Leaven

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Leaven

5 Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:5-6

Jesus can really make you scratch your head sometimes. While his disciples were worried about the physical absence of real bread, Jesus answered with some spiritual lesson. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. What did that have to do with eating? Sometimes it looked like Jesus’ mind was lost in thought and a word would trigger an idea- in this case bread made him think of leaven.

The disciples were left confused which explains the next verse:

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

Matthew 16:7

Now we could unpack the words of Jesus and try and discover the meaning behind it, or we could just stay with this little interaction and learn from that. Let’s do the second.

How many times have you read a verse in the Bible, gotten confused and simply let it go? It’s easy to read on and find something that you do understand. Although that will probably make you feel better, it keeps you from truly learning and growing.

The Bible should be a challenge. It should be a struggle. Don’t forget that you are reading the words of God. Jacob wrestled with God all night for a blessing, we should be able to wrestle for a few minutes or even hours to gain the same.

The good news is that even the disciples, who lived with Jesus for years, were often confused by his words. We’re in good company. The difference is that they were physically with him and so were able to hear his explanations after the fact.

That is where prayer and study comes in. Like the disciples who simply spent time with Jesus and learned the difficult ideas, we too can do the same. Praying and reading and spending time in God’s word will bring the answers that we seek. They also build a relationship with God.

Next time you are with God in the Bible and he says something confusing, don’t ignore him and move on. Stay a while and hear what he has to say. There is a blessing for those who do.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

A Boat

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A Boat

16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

John 6:16-17

When we read this same story in another gospel we see that it was Jesus himself that said to cross the lake without him but here it is left unknown. It is written in a way as to almost suggest that they decided to cross ahead of him, expecting him and yet ‘it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them’.

How many times do we do this in our life? We get anxious about something or impatient and go on ahead with a plan before letting God lead. This, as you could expect, never turns out well.

18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.

John 6:18

How many storms do we sometimes encounter because of our impatience? How many times do we put ourselves in danger because we run off ahead of God?

19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

John 6:19-20

I love the fact that it mentions that they were 3 or 4 miles away when they first notice Jesus walking towards them. It doesn’t matter how far we run on ahead, Jesus knows where we are and when to come. He has His plan and even when we mess it up, He has a way of righting it again. It’s also funny that instead of being happy, it is said that they were afraid. We often do the same- though with us, many times it’s out of embarrassment and shame.

21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

John 6:21

They willingly received Him into the boat. That is our greatest need. Some are and some will be alone in a boat in the middle of a storm. Don’t be afraid, Jesus is already walking on the water. All you have to do is willingly receive Him.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

A Dispute

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A Dispute

25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”

John 3:25-26

John 3 is usually quoted for v.16, but there is much more than one verse. Starting at v.25 we see that there is an argument rising. When you look at it closely it seems to be between John’s followers and Jesus’ disciples, but it’s not. It’s between the Jews and John and Jesus is only used to try and get John to lose control and become a bad example to those around him.

This happens often within the church. Arguments arise and many times neither side realizes that the argument really isn’t about either one of them, but actually Satan using an opportunity to create discord and bad behavior in the church. Many times he wins.

John, however, doesn’t let himself to be swept up in the argument. Look at his response to the  Jews.

27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’

John 3:27-28

Instead of getting his emotions or ego to control him, John humbly states his place. He knows that he isn’t the Christ. He knows that he isn’t the focus or important center. All he has is from God and he will follow His will.

If we were to follow John’s example, how many ugly scenes could be avoided within our churches. How many times could we avoid giving Satan a win within our own pews? John wasn’t the Christ but he truly was a real son of God.

John also says his famous words here.

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John 3:30

These words were not just meant for John, but they should be our words as well. Church is not a place for us to increase. It is not a place to gain power and authority. Church is a place where Christ should be increased. If we all looked at the church in this way, we could really make a home for God.

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

Wrestling in Prayer

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Wrestling in Prayer

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day,

For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

Psalm 56:1-2

Everyone at some point in their life makes this type of prayer to God. There are times where we are truly overwhelmed by enemies around us- be they people or situations. We have been learning about trusting in God and not worrying these last few weeks but here we see a ‘man after God’s own heart, doing just that. David is worried and he is pleading with God for help.

David was always very good at opening his heart and letting his true emotions and thoughts out. He was afraid and he wasn’t ashamed to proclaim it. What makes David different however is how his thoughts are so cleanly changed as he speaks. Just look at the following verses of his Psalm.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:3-4

I will not fear. What a huge change is seen in just a few verses. How is Davis able to do that?

To be honest, David is probably speaking out of faith at this moment than expressing his actual state. The next few verses go back to him focusing on his enemies and so the fear is still there.

This teaching us about an important aspect of prayer. It is about proclaiming truths about God even when your heart isn’t feeling it. David knew that with God he didn’t need to fear. AT that very moment, he might have been feeling something different but he would still proclaim it. By doing that, he creates a connection with God, one that God can use to make his promise a reality in David.

The Psalm goes back and forth between fear and faith but end like this:

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?

Psalm 56:12-13

David wrestled between his fear and God promises and in the end, God prevails. You can do the same in your prayer life.

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto

See Life

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See Life

36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 3:36

It’s amazing how much emphasis the Bible puts on your belief. If you simply believe in the Son, Jesus, you can have eternal life. Realize of course that this belief is not dead or powerless. The belief that we must have has to be one that can create change and movement in our lives.

Of course the opposite is equally true. Not believing in the Son keeps you from life itself. Notice how it says that you shall not see life, as if life actually only starts when you begin to believe in Jesus. What we are ‘living’ now is just an empty husk compared to the real life that is available to all who are willing to make the great leap to believe.

The last few words of the verse can seem very scary. The wrath of God is on all who do not believe. Some people can read this and think that God is uncaring and cruel. He punishes those who reject His Son. But I see it as a natural consequence. Do you blame fire itself when you burn yourself if you were to stick your hand into a flame? Of course not. Fire is hot and burns. That is not punishment but a natural reality of fire. God is similar.

God is pure goodness. He is the giver of life and life itself. To reject God is to reject life. Can you blame God for you yourself rejecting to live? Life, like the burning of fire, is just a natural state of God. Remember too that there is no other source of life.

I hope you can see your belief in Jesus, not as a requirement or decision but also as a natural consequence. I hope that when you experience the love, joy and peace of Christ that you just naturally become believer in it and Him.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17

 

God bless,

Pr. Steven Couto